Each
autumn since 1938, with the exception of 1943 and 2020, the
National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted men's
cross country championships. Since 1958, the NCAA has had multiple division championships. Since 1973, Divisions I, II and III have all had their own national championships. The field for the
Division I national championship race has ranged in size from a low of 6 teams in 1938, to a high of 39 teams in 1970. From 1982 to 1997, the field was fixed at 22 teams. From 1998 to 2024, the field was increased to 31 teams, and then starting in 2025, a total of 32 teams now compete annually for the championship. The 32-team field will increase the total male and female competitors from 255 to 262. The reason for this change is an increase in collegiate programs across the country in recent years, and a belief that the increased teams will improve competition while still being comfortably accommodated on the cross-country course. The race distance from 1938 to 1964 was . From 1965 to 1975, the race distance was . Since 1976, the race distance has been . Wisconsin and Syracuse are the only two teams East of the Mississippi River that have won in the 21st Century. == Qualifying ==